Actuaries join Inspirational Insurance Campaign

Pushing the boundaries on the perception of what it means to have a career in insurance, ANZIIF’s Dimity Mannering discusses a new initiative championing actuarial opportunities.

It’s one of the enduring laments of the industry — why does everyone seem to ‘fall into’ insurance? Is it due to a negative perception of the industry? Is it that people aren’t aware of it? Whatever the reason, it has always seemed that the vast majority of insurance professionals find their way into the industry without ever having intended to end up there.

The recently launched Careers in Insurance initiative is designed to change all this, inspiring young people to consider choosing insurance as a career through the theme ‘Go Anywhere. Do Anything.’

To ensure that aspiring actuaries are aware of opportunities in the industry, Taylor Fry and Finity Consulting are both part of Careers in Insurance. They join businesses from across the industry in engaging with young talent to highlight the breadth of opportunities that insurance offers.

Careers in Insurance starts by raising awareness and changing perceptions of what it’s like to work in the industry. To achieve this, the initiative has a website, social media channels and an integrated communications program, and grassroots engagement is being undertaken at university and high school careers fairs.

Thought students and graduates weren’t interested in the industry? Think again. So popular were the Careers in Insurance stands at recent careers fairs in Melbourne and Sydney that visitors were queuing up to speak to our volunteers from across the industry, who all stayed long past their shifts to answer questions from students of everything from actuarial studies and finance to law, nursing and even counterterrorism.

For the online component, Careers in Insurance has also launched a website designed to appeal to a young audience through its use of video, personality archetypes and careers content. The site aims to support young people, who often have little or no knowledge of the industry, by allowing them to explore the diverse career paths that insurance has to offer. Actuarial roles are highlighted on the website to emphasise the many opportunities for data-savvy job seekers and to reflect the way in which actuaries provide critical support for insurance businesses across the world.

The Careers in Insurance website also has a CV repository and an upcoming job board to connect young job seekers with entry-level opportunities in the industry. Acting as a channel between young talent and the industry is a crucial part of the program, which serves to support insurance businesses now and into the future.

‘In 2014, our research showed that 94 per cent of insurance businesses struggled to find talent’, said Meg Brideson, ANZIIF’s General Manager of Marketing and Insights. ‘Attracting and retaining quality talent is the key to our industry’s success, and it is crucial to ensuring that we have the workforce we need in the years to come. Bringing young people into the industry also enables us to establish the diverse workforce required to address the challenges and harness the opportunities of the future.’

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Dimity Mannering

Dimity is Executive Director of Interns Australia, the national advocacy body for interns. She has a background in corporate affairs and public policy, having worked for Australian and European governments as well as in financial services. Admitted as a lawyer, Dimity is a specialist in employment and international comparative law.

Stephanie Quine

Stephanie is the Digital Marketing Manager at the Actuaries Institute. She writes and produces video and audio to support Institute campaigns and coordinates the production of Actuaries Digital. She has a background in journalism and provides support to the Institute’s Public Policy work.